ABUJA, Nigeria — Delegates attending the seventh ordinary session of the African Telecommunications Union Conference of Plenipotentiaries in Abuja, Nigeria, elected Zambian engineer Kezias Kazuba Mwale as the organization’s new Secretary General for the 2027 to 2031 institutional cycle.
The elections took place during the conference held from July 23 to July 24, 2026. Mwale, who received endorsement from the Southern African Development Community Information and Communications Technologies Ministers, secured 21 votes to win the election. He defeated South Africa’s Cynthia Leungo Lesufi, who received 8 votes, and Cameroon’s Ottou Valéry Hilaire, who polled 5 votes, alongside candidates from Congo Brazzaville and Tunisia.
Mwale will officially assume office on January 1, 2027, for a four year term as provided for under the African Telecommunications Union Constitution. Until the handover, incumbent Secretary General John Omo will continue to lead the General Secretariat, manage current operations, and assist with administrative transition plans. 
Delivering his acceptance speech before delegates and ministers following the vote, Mwale expressed gratitude to member states, the Zambian government, and President Hakainde Hichilema.
“As an African proverb reminds us, if you want to go fast, go alone, but if you want to go far, go together. Today’s election has produced one Secretary General, but our shared commitment remains one. This victory is not mine alone, nor does it belong to any one nation. It belongs to every member state represented here today and to every African who believes in the transformative power of digital technologies to improve lives and create opportunities for our people,” he said.
Outlining his strategy for the union, Mwale pledged to work closely with various partners to push continental digital growth.
“I will work and serve closely with governments, regulators, policymakers, the private sector, academia, and civil society, development partners, and other stakeholders to build a stronger, more responsive, and forward-looking ATU. Together, we will strive to expand affordable and universal connectivity, promote digital inclusion, strengthen cybersecurity and digital resilience, foster innovation, develop digital skills, and amplify our voice in regional and global digital policy diplomacy. I firmly believe that our diversity is our strength,” Mwale added.
Mwale brings over 23 years of experience in the Information and Communication Technology sector and has served the African Telecommunications Union for 14 years, most recently as Director for Spectrum. During his tenure, he contributed to expanding the union’s membership from 39 to 52 member states while working on 5G spectrum optimisation, satellite resource recovery, and continental initiatives such as AfriSAP and the ATU Space Shield. His campaign vision, titled “Advancing ATU Transformation: Deepening its Contribution to the Digital Transformation Agenda,” focuses on rural broadband expansion, artificial intelligence driven economic growth, youth digital empowerment, and global digital governance.
In Lusaka, Zambian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Principal Public Relations Officer Eva Hatontola Chanda confirmed that her ministry worked alongside the Ministry of Technology and Science and diplomatic missions abroad to coordinate the diplomatic campaign that mobilized support for Mwale.
The Abuja gathering also saw the transfer of the Chairmanship of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries from Algeria to Nigeria, with Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, assuming the role.
Furthermore, the conference elected 25 member states to the Administrative Council for the upcoming four year period. Eswatini was elected to represent the Southern Africa region on the council, alongside Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. Other elected regional representatives include Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, and Togo for West Africa; Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia for North Africa; Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda for Eastern Africa; and Burundi, Cameroon, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, and the Democratic Republic of Congo for Central Africa.
The delegates concluded the event by adopting the Abuja Ministerial Declaration on Meaningful Connectivity for Africa, a strategic framework designed to speed up universal and affordable digital access across the continent.
